Old World landmark reborn in the Loop

Guest room in Hotel Burnham

Handout

Handout

Glenn Jeffers, Special to Tribune Newspapers

Hotel Burnham possesses an Old World style and grace that could put any modern-day skyscraper to shame. Designed by Daniel Burnham's firm and completed in 1895, the former Reliance Building is considered a predecessor to the skyscrapers of today with its glass-and-steel frame and terra cotta facade.

Kimpton Hotels renovated it in 1999, recasting it as a boutique hotel while restoring many original accents, such as the marble staircases, elevator grilles and window-framed doors reminiscent of any noir detective film.